Electricity conductor unit



Oct. 1, 1946. J, F. ORIEN A 4 ELECTRICITY CONDUCTOR UNIT- Orig'inal Filed July 25, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P l l I r I r l l Oct. l, 1946. J. F. OBRIEN ELECTRICITY CONDUCTOR UIT f original Filed July 25, 1941 2 sheets-*smet 2 v INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 1, 1946 v UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE 27,408,442 ELECTRICITY CONDUCTOR. UNIT Joseph F. OBrien, Jersey City, N. J., assignor to John B. Piercel Foundation, New York, N.. Y., a, corporation: of New York,

'Originaiapplieaton July 2.5, 1941, semi, No. 403,978.. Divided and this application August 21, 194e, serial no. 500,051

2 Claims., (Cl. 173-3341) This invention relates to electric` Wiring sysa Fig. 8 is a perspective of an insulating sheath tems, and particularly to Wiring systems embodyemployed in said' vquadruple outlet unit;- and' ing'seriatim interconnected units adapted for sur- Fig. 9 is a perspective of an interconnectorblock face installation on a Wall or the top of a baseused to interconnect said quadruple outletA unit board or like structural trim. 51 and another outlet provided unit.

It is an object ofthe invention to provide elec- In Figure 1, the portion of a Wiring system tricity'conductor and connector units having i-mshown comprises electricity conductor units( t0, proved facilities for the seriatim interconnection I 0, and' one or more connector units: y|12) l2. thereof.. The wiring system is illustratively positioned on It isA an olbject of the. invention to provide an 10 the top of a baseboard I4, and may-be capped by electric wiringsystem in which the electrical and' a conventional molding strip l5. Said molding mechanical connection of adjacent units may be strip and baseboard are fragmentarily shown. made fromV the front of the unit, with means for The conductor unit I G mayhave a base I6 anda the complete enclosure: of adjacent units over a removable cover l1 secured thereto by machine substantial area beyond the point ofl intercom` 15 screws or equivalent i8, see Fig. 3. Cover and nection thereof. base m-ay be molded ofl electrical insulation mate- It is an object of the invention to provide an rial to have any suitable plurality of registeringelectricity connector unit for interconnecting adtransverse walls I9, lilaY each being groovedA to enjacent conductor units, having improved means gage therebetween and insulatedlyI support a suitfor secu-ring the conductors therein against. acci- 20 able plurality of electricity conductors 25J, 20.. dental displacement during installation and for It'vvill be noted that the mating Walls at each end maintaining the rigidity thereof during use. of each conductor unit I0 define a completelyl This application is,- a, division of my' presentlyr closed end wall, and that each end, 2|, of each copending application Serial' No. 403,978, lled conductor unit l0 is of reduced dimension to pro- July 25,'191-1,` for Eleptricity conductor unit, U. S. 25 vide-athree-sided; stepped extension of substan- Patent No. 2,313,331, patented April 10, 1945. tial length, over which an extending end of the Other features andadvantageswill hereinafter Cover Of the COIlIleCOr unit S snugly fOr 00mappeal. plete enclosure of such end portion.

InA the accompanying: drawings: The. conductors `2li may be tubes or rodsr of Fig. 1 is an elevation offa portion of an @Metric 30 conductive material; manufacturing economies wiring systeml according to the present invention, are; elected by employing solid conductors, i. e.,

run onY thebaseboard of' the Wal-10ft), room, Said' rods; or lengths of relatively-rigid wire. As clearlyV baseboard being shown. fragmentarily to reveal appears from Figures 2' and' 3': Sad Conductors the Otherwisev Concealed securement devices; 20 extend for a desirablypredetermined distance Fig. 2. is an enlarged section ofy a portion of the 35 beyond the: ends of the umts I0. Wiring system, looking in the direction of the The Connector Umt '2 includes a' base 22 Of insulation material, having a width equal tothe Fig 3 is an enlarged plan View of the portion Width of thev projecting ends 2*! of the units.v HL of the Wiring system Shown in Figure 2 with the and a thickness which desirably positions the 1ni I 40. ner surface of such base in the same plane as an Icrgdmf Ctlefrllgdrcorfio gli; te innerr surface oi the base I6 of the unit lo. The e o o ec or base 22 has at each of its ends a transverse wall unit removed to show the arrangement of' the con' 23,. desirably having grooves 24, 24 to receive ther ducors'nd, clamping means therem; conductors 20, and an intermediate longitudinal F1a 4 1s areal" vlevv of the @over member 0f. the. 45, rib 25 eoextensive with the .base The removable connector umn of Hgue Si cap 26 of the unit I2, also of insulation material,

F125 5 .al Sectional ele'iatm 01' ai Wiring SYS* has end portions or eavesr'21, 2l which are adapted tememploylng. a quadruple. outlet unit with which to envelop the ends,` 2=I of the conductor units` la is Connected. a COIlduCOr unit and a Slfliilf-Jv 011tt about three sidesv thereof., as previouslyk sta-ted: let Uniti. 5,0 To complete the enclosure of the conduct-ors at Fig. 6 isx a fragmentary pla-n view of: the'l basel the junctures of units HlY and` l2', the base mem'- portion of a quadruple outlet unit at the. centen ber of unit lilll may have a projecting toe 28a. to;

portion thereof; extend" into a suitable pocket formed in they base Fig: '7j is. a section of an assembled quadruple 22'` off the unit: l2'. outlet unit taken at 'Il--J of Fig. 6; 55S The unit.; l'2l isillustrated as having outlet .proa

' tachment facilities.

visions, pursuant to which the cap member has paired slots 29, 29, desirably bounded by transverse walls 30, 30 and a central wall 3|. It will be noted from Figs. 2 and 4 that the transverse Walls 30 project beneath the surface of wail 25 and engage the sides thereof, thereby keying the cover 26 positively to the base 22. Disposed beneath said slots when the housing and base of the connector I2 are arranged in ultimate position, said base has pockets 32 to accomodate the ends of the blades of an electric attachment plug.

Referring to Fig. 3, the conductor 33 of the unit |2 is desirably an angle-shaped stamping of copper or brass, on the vertical wallof which may be riveted or welded contacts 34, 34 when the connector unit is provided with electric at- Imrnediately beneath such contacts 34 are openings 35, 35 of suitable width in the plane portion of said angled conductor 33 to permit the passage of the blades of an electrical attachment plug therethrough and into the pocket 32 in the base 22. Desirably intermediate the contacts 34, the basel of the conductor 33 may have a plurality, illustratively two, of the downwardly extending lugs 35; said lugs extend into and fit snugly within recesses 31 provided in the base 22, to frictionally secure the conductors 33 on the base member 22 and prevent displacement thereof during installation in a vertical plane.

The grooves 24 in the transverse walls 23 of base 22 and the similar grooves in end walls 23a of cap 2B register with the intersection of the vertical and horizontal walls of the angle-form conductors 33; and the base grooves guide the conductors 2i) of an adjacent unit into preferred position for securernent to the conductors 33.

Optional means are provided for the mechanical interconnection of adjacent units and'for the securement of a run of units to the wall of a roem. According to the embodiment of Figures 1 through 3, mechanical interconnection of adjacent units, additional to the connection afforded by the clamping means, is effected by a machine screw and nut 4|), which pass through registering openings in the eave 21 of the cap 2S and the extension 2| of a unit I5. The nut of such fastening means is preferably housed within a polygonal pocket in the base member I6 ofthe unit I0, desirably with a jam fit in such pocket to prevent accidental displacement. The machine screw may, therefore, be inserted and made fast wholly from the front of the unit.

Securement of the run of units to the wall of the room may be accomplished by the mounting clips 4|, one or both of the wings of which may be perforated for the passage of a wood screw or like fastening device. Suitably rigid support, however, may be had by inserting the lowerrnost Wing 4|a intermediate the baseboard and the wall as shown in Figure l, and by securing the upper wing 4|b to the studding or wall structure by a wood screw. The molding strip I5 fully conceals such upper wing 4H) and its screw fastening.

Referring to Figures 3 nd 4, it will be noted that the base 22 of connector unit I2 is formed with extending lugs 42, over which fingers 43 of the clips 4| iit in gripping relation therewith. The extent of outward projection of the lugs 42, plus the thickness of the ngers 43, equals the width of the cap member 2S, whereupon the unit with its assembled clips 4| is without break or offset which would interfere with the positioning of the unit on the baseboard, or the it of the molding strip |5 thereon.

The thickness of the lugs 42 is less than the thickness of the base portion, so that a substantial overlap is provided between the side walls of the cap and the upperand lower edges of the base portion. Preferably said cap telescopes over the base portion with a snug fit, thereby minimizing possibility of ingress of dirt or inflow of water into the unit in the areas occupied by the clips 4|. It will be understood, see Fig. 4, that the cap member 26 has suitable recesses 44 to accommodate the fingers 43 of the clips.

Where it may not be desirable to employ the clips 4|, as where the run of units is exposed on a wall, a wood screw may be substituted for ythe bolt and nut organization 45.

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a wiring system embodying a unit i0 and a unit I2, interconnected by a quadruple outletprovided unit ||2. In said unit |I2, the base |22 corresponds generally to the base 22 of the unit I2 in that it is provided with end walls 23 having groves 24 therein, a central rib 25, lugs 42, and the provisions for the frictional retention of four electricity conductors 33, two disposed at each end of the unit according to the showings of Figure 3.

It will be noted that at the center portion of the base |22, there is provided a structure |50 having vertical side walls provided with upstanding lugs, |5|, |5|. Such structure |53 has passages l52, |52 therethrough, said passages terminating in polygonal pockets |53 into which the nuts of the screw-nut assemblies 40 snugly and frictionally t.

Electrical interconnection between conductors 33 of like polarity may be made by the conductors |54, clamped to said conductors in the same manner as are the conductors 20, see Figure 2.

Arrangedto iit over and enclose the structure |50 and the electricity conductors |54 on each side thereof, is a sheath |55, which may be of relatively thin insulation material such as molded fiber. Said sheath |55 has openings |55, |56 therethrough, said openings receiving and engaging with the lugs |5| of said structure |50 to accurately position the sheath and prevent lateral displacement thereof. Holes |51 register with the passages |52 of the structure |50.

A pair of standard cover members 25 is used to enclose said base |22, the meeting edge of said covers 26 being at the center of the base |22, and it will be apparent that the sheath |55, tting beneath the covers, protects the conductors |54 against access from without. Each cover 26 has, at each of its ends, an aperture for the passage of a machine screw 45; said apertures register with the openings |52, |51, whereuponthe covers may be securely attached to the base.

In assembling the units on the job, the base 22 of the connector unit |2 or ||2 may first be positioned, whereupon a unit l0 may be placed in adjacency thereto, with the extendingV ends of the conductors 20 thereof guided into position beneath the clamps 38 by the grooves 24. The clamp screws may then be tightened up and after a second run unit |Il has been similarly placed in position, the cover member of the connector unit I2 may be iitted over the assembly and made secure by the screw and nut organization 40 at each end thereof.

It is seen, therefore, that the installation of this wiring system is exceedingly simple, in that all operations of connection, etc., are made from the front and in full view of the installer. The clamping means 38, engaging the conductors 20 at twoy relatively Widely spaced points, and urgingr said conductors into contact with the conductors 33 at the juncture of the angle-'forming walls thereof insure proper electrical interconnection of the respective units.

Whereas I have described my invention by reference to specic forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A unit of an electric Wiring system of seriatim-interconnected units, comprising a base of electrical insulation materi-al, a central rib integral With said base and extending longitudinally thereof, electricity conductors disposed on said base on each side of said rib, lugs on said conductors extending into said base in frictional engagement therewith to secure said conductors thereto, and a three-sided cover of electrical insulation material adapted to completely enclose 6 said base and said conductors, said cover having eave-like portions extending beyond the ends of said base for the reception of the ends of an adjacent unit of such wiring system.

2. A unit of an electric Wiring system of seriatim-interconnected units, comprising a base of electrical insulation material, a central rib integral with said base and extending longitudinally thereof, electricity conductors disposed on said base on each side of said rib, lugs on said conductors extending into said base in frictional engagement therewith to secure said conductors thereto, and a three-sided cover of electrical insulation material adapted to completely enclose said base and said conductors, said cover having eave-like portions extending beyond the ends of said base for the reception of the ends of an add jacent unit of such wiring system, and transverse walls engageaole with said central rib in keying relationship therewith to secure said cover in position on said base.

JOSEPH F. OBRIEN. 

